At Wembley, members of the Football Association Council can watch England national team and FA Cup matches from premium seats, bring one guest and receive food and drink without charge. The council has more than 120 people, including English Football League chair Rick Parry, Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Maheta Molango and Premier League executives.
The Football Association spent £564,400 on those free tickets and hospitality arrangements in the 2025-26 season. That was 25% higher than the previous season’s £452,300.
The FA said the increase followed an upgrade to its hospitality offer, intended to match the services available to football clubs and other industry representatives.
The cost is also shaped by the Fellowship of Council programme, introduced in 2017. It allows former council members who served for at least nine years to keep access to free tickets, food and drinks after their terms end.
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Richard McDermott, the FA company secretary, said in the accounts that ticket and hospitality spending would rise as the number of Fellowship participants grows each year.
The FA has proposed changes to Fellowship benefits so that these costs begin to fall from 2027.
The council brings together figures from across English football, including the Premier League, the English Football League and the players’ union.
Its expanding hospitality bill comes as fans in England have staged waves of protests over increasingly unaffordable ticket prices amid rising living costs.
Liverpool cancelled planned ticket price increases for three consecutive seasons after anger from supporters, an example of the pressure clubs have faced over the cost of attending matches.
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